Four Hundred Percent

So, I discovered the whole secret to weight loss! Seriously! I shouldn’t share it with you, in fact I should CHARGE you to read this but because I’m such a nice person, I’m going to just come right out with it!

The big secret?

You have to actually make the effort to have it happen.

That’s right.

Seems easy right? “But I do that!” Really? Do you?

Have you done every single thing to make sure it happens or do you find reasons and excuses not to be committed to the effort?

Because – not being Judgy McJudgerson here – I notice – that I see a lot of us making excuses. And here’s the thing. I was CONSTANTLY making excuses and for the most part eating stuff that was not reflective of what I ultimately wanted.

My excuses:
Stress
I want it
I deserve it
A little bit won’t hurt my diet
What? I run a lot so I can eat more!

While some things I definitely had going against me – real stress, commuting stress, lack of sleep – I gave in all the time for many reasons, some I probably didn’t know or wanted to keep buried under the surface. While I was constantly sabotaging myself I was also angry that nothing was working. WHY couldn’t I lose weight? WHY was i just staying the same ALL OF THE TIME? Other people lost weight. Other people were successful at it, what the actual flip was my problem?

Well, I think some of it had to do with being stubborn. Why should I have to give up things? Why couldn’t I just magically lose weight and be like everyone else? Poor me. It’s not fucking fair. *Cue throwing self on floor*

As you know I re-joined Weight Watchers right before I started my new job, but the first 3 weigh-ins I gained weight. Like, seriously, WTAF? Who does that? Well I did, because I WENT to the meeting, but I only half-assed tried to follow the actual program. My Weight Watcher leader just asked me point blank – are you actually following the program? Being a horrible liar I had to come out with it, NO, I wasn’t. She asked me to try the Power Start, just for a week. We talked a bit more and decided that actually just going straight for Power Foods was the best choice (this is called “Telvrije Dag” in the Netherlands) because I really need variety to NOT see the numbers adding up making me crazy and feel like a failure if I go over one day (which, you can’t “go over”, but there’s a crazy mind game numbers play with me). So I promised her ONE WEEK. I promised her I would track everything 100%. I would prove to her stubbornly that it DOESN’T WORK. I AM AN ANOMALY!!

So I tracked everything for one week. It made me a bit nuts but I had to prove her wrong. Where I didn’t know exactly what points value was (because if it’s not on the PowerFoods list, you need to count), I had to just guess (which is where I generally give up). And I went in after a week expecting to see nothing happen and then…

I lost 2.2Kilos. That’s 4.8lbs.

Huh???

So I did it again. And I lost 700 grams.

And then I did it a third weeek and I lost 300 grams.

So I did it a fourth week and I lost 1.9KG.

Though I gained the first three weeks, I’m not even counting it. I wasn’t trying. I didn’t start. I started 4 weeks ago. I gave it 100% each week. No cheats. Everything logged. The worst part of all of it? I pretty much gave up alcohol with the exception of about 6 beers and 1 glass of wine. In the last 4 weeks. Me. I’m drinking alcohol-free beer for the Love of Pete. Who am I and what have they done with the real Pinky????

Four Hundred percent. 5.1KG. Just over 11lbs.

Imagine that. Making an effort and no excuses actually works.